California's Democratic-dominated Assembly endorsed up to $50 million in funding Monday to defend the state's progressive policies against challenges by the Trump administration.
The legislation sets aside $25 million for the state Department of Justice to fight legal battles against the federal government, and another $25 million for legal groups to defend immigrants facing possible deportation.
The proposals won approval on party-line votes after Assembly Democrats delayed an expected vote last week. They now head to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom' s desk.
"We do not trust President Donald Trump," Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said before the votes, describing Trump's administration as “out of control” and a threat to constitutional rights.
Republican leader James Gallagher called the plan a political stunt that sapped away time from dealing with wildfires and the soaring cost of living in the state. Rather than getting ready for a fight with Trump, “we could be talking about how we could make things more affordable,” he said.
At a recent hearing on the proposed funding, Democratic Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur said it is about "making sure that whatever happens at the federal level — and we don’t know what that’s going to be to a great extent yet — that our government is actually looking out for the rights of California families.”
Newsom called lawmakers into a special session in November to pass the proposals. The longtime Trump political rival said at the time that California's freedoms were threatened by the Republican president's election and that the state wouldn't “sit idle” as he returned to the nation's highest office.
But after destructive wildfires broke out in January around Los Angeles, Newsom expanded the special session to also pass fire-relief funding. The move came after Republican lawmakers said the focus on Trump was misplaced as the blazes raged on.
Newsom won bipartisan approval for the fire proposals in the Legislature, and he signed the $2.5 billion package into law. The money is for the state's disaster response including evacuations, sheltering survivors and removing household hazardous waste. The laws also included $4 million for local governments to streamline approvals for rebuilding homes, and $1 million to support school districts and help them rebuild facilities.
On Jan. 24, Newsom welcomed Trump with a unifying tone in Los Angeles, where the president came to tour the devastation. The state will need federal help to recover from the disaster — aid Trump has suggested he might pull if the state doesn't change its water policies.
Republican state Assemblymember Bill Essayli, who represents part of Southern California's Inland Empire, said at a recent committee hearing that moving forward with the funding for lawsuits was “incredibly tone-deaf.”
"We’re fighting not only fires now but mudslides, and we should be focused on wildfire recovery, relief and prevention,” he said.
Republicans have also argued the funding was premature, noting the proposals were unveiled before Trump returned to office.